Overview
- Lawmakers approved the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, setting a minimum of six cane strokes for specified scam offences with a maximum of 24.
- Members of scam syndicates face the same range, while people who knowingly enable scams can receive up to 12 strokes on top of prison terms.
- Judicial caning applies only to medically fit male offenders under 50 following a medical check, with women and older men exempt and additional jail available instead.
- Authorities cite nearly $385 million in losses in the first half of 2025 and close to $4 billion since 2020 as the scale of the problem.
- Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International condemn caning as torture and critics doubt it will deter overseas syndicates, as the bill also makes caning discretionary for offences like vandalism and a demonstration video drew wide online attention.